System for recording and real-time transmission of in-flight of aircraft cockpit to ground services

ABSTRACT

A system, method and device for monitoring an aircraft, including activity taking place within an aircraft and conditions of the aircraft, where one or more a percepting component such as a camera, microphone, or other sensor, is situated at a location within the aircraft from which information may be ascertained. Preferably the component is disguised within the surfaces or instrumentation of the aircraft. The percepting component is connected with a communication mechanism to transmit communications from the system resident within the aircraft to a grounds portion of the system through a communication link, such as a satellite communication link. The system may process the information corresponding with the aircraft condition or activity and generate alerts when a trigger is met or exceeded. The system components on the aircraft may monitor conditions and activity without using or interfering with the aircraft instrumentation, the system using only the aircraft power.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

A system, method and device for aircraft monitoring and flight deck orcockpit recording, and more particularly, a system that may beimplemented to ascertain real-time information about events taking placewithin monitored areas of an aircraft.

2. Brief Description of the Related Art

The current systems for aircraft monitoring and flight deck or cockpitrecording are inadequate in many respects. For example, if an airlinercrashes, the only way to retrieve reliable data as to the cause of thecrash or mishap is to retrieve the so-called black-box flight recorder.Many smaller aircraft do not have such flight recorders, makingreconstructing the events leading up to a mishap difficult forinvestigators, insurance companies and safety regulators. In addition,sometimes it is extremely difficult to recover an aircraft flightrecorder, and sometimes they are never recovered at all. For example,Air France Flight 447 went into the Atlantic Ocean and it was nearly twoyears before the flight recorders were recovered. By way of anotherexample, Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 presumably crashed into theIndian Ocean, and more than two years later, still no wreckage or flightrecorders have yet been recovered. In fact there are presently onaverage of over 400 aircraft incidents per year resulting in one or moredeaths, many of them in smaller aircraft with no flight recorders atall.

Even when a flight recorder is recovered, it does not necessarilyprovide the entire information set as to the activities leading up tothe event or mishap. For example, many flight recorders record thevoices of the pilots in the cockpit, but they do not record the image ofthe pilots, what they are doing, nor even an indication of whether theyare present on the flight deck or even conscious, such as the situationwhich happened with Helios Airways Flight 522. In that flight, theentire occupancy was incapacitated by decompression in the aircraft ataltitude, and military jets had to be scrambled to verify visually whathad happened, since there were no communications from the aircraft, andno means to obtain a picture of the flight deck to determine the crew'scondition.

Furthermore, many crashes are the result of pilot error ormisunderstanding of instruments or flight conditions. In suchsituations, it is possible and even likely that an independent flightexpert or artificial intelligence flight system could be of materialassistance in preventing a mishap or crash, if a means to insure that inan emergency flight situation, such resources were made available to thepilots. Even experienced professional pilots can make simple mistakesthat could be corrected quickly with objective independent suggestions.For example, Air France Flight 447 spent over 3 minutes in a nose-upstall, entirely under the control of the pilots, with multipleindicators on the instrument panel indicating the elements of a stallcondition, until it crashed into the ocean in a decent from 38,000 feet.The stall and ultimate crash could have easily been prevented had atsome point in those 3 minutes, the pilots simply recognized the state ofthe aircraft as indicated by some of their instruments, pointed the nosedown, and regained sufficient air flow over the wings to induce theaircraft into flight again.

In other situations, where there is possible breach of the flight deckby hijackers, often little is understood about an aircraft situationunless the hijackers choose to communicate. For example, in the Sep. 11,2001 attacks on the US, a significant period of time passed beforeground controllers realized the gravity of the situation, since theattackers were not communicating anything over air traffic controlfrequencies. In fact several individuals knew the exact situation in theaircraft before airliner executives or air traffic control officialsknew, based on passenger-to-ground calls. Still today, there is nosystem for ground controllers to independently view the status of anairliner flight deck.

A similar situation exists with respect to private aircraft. Privateaircraft have many more accidents per year than airliners, and are lessequipped to record incidents or provide for assistance in the case ofin-flight emergencies.

The problems cited above are exacerbated by the fact that installinganything into an aircraft that might obtain readings from instruments orother aircraft-installed systems requires lengthy and expensivecertification processes. Installing anything in an aircraft which in anyway connects to instruments or existing aircraft systems typicallyviolates the aircraft's airworthiness certificate.

What is needed is a system which is completely independent of anaircraft's existing avionics and systems, but which can neverthelessmonitor the major elements affecting an aircraft and its operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A system, method and device are provided for monitoring an aircraft. Thesystem, method and device are configured to monitor and obtaininformation from the major elements affecting an aircraft and itsoperation. The system is configured to obtain the informationindependently of and without being tied into the existing avionics andaircraft operational and guidance components.

The system, method and devices obtain information about the aircraft,which may include, for example, but not be limited to, informationobtained by monitoring the aircraft's avionics and instruments, bothaudio and video of the cockpit in order to determine the activities ofthe pilots, including their presence, as well as sounds in the cockpit,such as audible alerts, pilots or others' conversations in the cockpit,and view through the cockpit windows to provide some indication ofoutside conditions or weather in which the aircraft is operating.

In addition, the present system, method and device, rather than merelyrecording the monitored information, such as, for example, theaforementioned elements, to a recording device (which has to be foundintact and undamaged in order to ascertain its contents), the system maytransmit the aforementioned elements wirelessly to a location, facility,airline operations center or other suitable ground-system during flight.According to some embodiments, the transmission may occur selectivelywhen activated under certain conditions in flight or by pilots.

In addition, according to some embodiments, the system is configured tocommunicate with the pilot of the aircraft when warranted, whichpreferably is done independent of whether or not the regular radios ofthe aircraft are operable, or whether or not the aircraft is out ofrange of air traffic control or other ground transceivers.

The present invention supplies the above capabilities and more. Althoughfeatures may be disclosed in a particular embodiment, embodiments of theinvention may implement one or more or combinations of the featuresdisclosed herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration depicting an exemplary embodiment ofthe system, according to the invention, showing a device for imaging andassociated components for managing information.

FIG. 2A is a perspective view of the cockpit, showing two pilots seatedtherein, as viewed from the rear of the cockpit looking forward.

FIG. 2B is a perspective view of the cockpit depicted in FIG. 1 ,showing a pilot seated therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The fundamental invention is disclosed in FIG. 1 , and further describedherein, along with descriptions of options which may be amended to theelements of the invention without limitation or departing from thescope. For the purposes of this disclosure, the invention is called thereal-time flight recorder system (RFRS).

First, referring to FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a systemaccording to the invention is illustrated. The RFRS, in the embodimentdepicted, is shown including a camera 102 which typically has a wideangle lens 101A, with a microphone and speaker 101B. The microphonespeaker 101B and camera 102 may be contained within a single housing asindicated in FIG. 1 , or, according to alternate embodiments, may beseparately mounted. Preferably, the camera, speaker and microphone aremounted in the cockpit 101 in a location which does not interfere withthe operation of the aircraft, but which nevertheless provides a view ofthe cockpit 101 and pilots, as shown for example, without limitation, inFIGS. 2A and 2B, where cockpits 201 and 101 are depicted, respectively.For example, as depicted in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the camera ascertains animage of the cockpit view where a number of the aircraft's instruments,which are operative during flight, are imaged and recorded. The imagemay be transmitted to the ground portion 120 during flight (or after theflight), to provide information about the aircraft's condition duringits flight. The information may comprise real time information.According to some alternative embodiments, the information obtained fromcomponents (e.g., from cameras and sensors) may be processed by theaircraft portion 100 of the RFRS, and processed data obtained from theimage or sensor information may be transmitted from the aircraft portion100 to the ground portion 120. The component 115 may be configured withsoftware or other artificial intelligence to identify or detectconditions of the aircraft (based on the camera and/or other sensors)and provide alerts when the condition meets or exceeds a threshold. Inaddition, the single camera 102 indicated in FIG. 1 may in fact be twoor more cameras in order to provide complete coverage of a cockpit,without departing from the scope of the invention disclosed herein. Inaddition, as well known to those practiced in the art, the cameras andmicrophone and speaker may be of the miniature type, so that theirlocation may be made to be hidden or innocuous or disguised to appearpart of other instruments or switches, and therefore not readilyrecognizable by a hijacker or other unauthorized entrant to the cockpit.The camera 102 and microphone are set to record images and audio in thecockpit 101, primarily during emergencies, but may be set to record atany time, including for the complete duration of a flight, or fortraining purposes. The recording devices are connected to a system 100which resides in the aircraft, but other than a power connection (wherethe system is configured or installed to receive power from theaircraft), is otherwise in no way connected to any other aircraftsystems, and is therefore easy to install in aircraft which are alreadyin operation and/or without affecting the aircraft's airworthinesscertificate.

In addition to the camera 102 and microphone and speaker 101B, theaircraft portion 100 of the RFRS includes means to automatically recordand/or transmit images, sound bites or full video when certain sounds orimages are noticed by the system. Listening circuitry may be provided.For example, the listening circuitry may process inputs from the camera102, microphone, or other detecting component (such as, for example, asensor, which may be included as part of the camera 102, or which may beseparately provided an associated with the system components). Theoptional recording function 102 and recording trigger function 104 andoptional continuous full video and audio 105 are compressed, formattedand encrypted 106 in preparation for optional transmission to the groundportion of the RFRS 120 via link 108 to a satellite radio transceiver109 with suitable antenna 110. According to some embodiments, the groundportion 120 may be configured to include a satellite transceiver 114 fortransmitting and receiving communications through a satellite (such as,for example, the satellite link represented by the satellite 112 andlinks 111,113 depicted in FIG. 1 ). The aircraft portion of the system100 may also include sensors separate from those of the aircraft,including optionally a barometric pressure sensor and accelerometersensor and an attitude sensor (not shown). The aircraft portion 100 ofthe RFRS is shown containing a supervisory computer or control circuitrymeans 107. According to some embodiments of the invention, all of thefunctional elements of the aircraft portion 100 of the RFRS may becontained within a single computer or programmable circuit means, asopposed to being separable functions, without departing from the scope.According to other embodiments, the functional elements may be providedin one or more separate arrangements, for example, where the camera 102and/or other sensors that collect or provide information, are providedseparately from the operation circuitry or processing components, andtransmission components.

According to some embodiments, the system components may be providedtogether in a housing. Embodiments may be configured where one or morecomponents, such as, for example, a camera lens, sensor, or microphone,may be located separate from the housing and disguised among the cockpitinstruments, switches, panels and/or other interior components. Thecomponent or components which are not situated within the housingpreferably are connected to the housing or one or more other componentswithin the housing. This may be done through a suitable connection,which may be wired or wireless (where the transmission would notinterfere with aircraft instrumentation).

In operation, various sensors may operate individually or in concert toregister conditions to the supervisory means which cause the images andaudio or video and audio to be recorded and optionally immediatelytransmitted, or saved for later transmission. The trigger points orcombinations can be set prior to installation by a program, prior to asingle flight by a program, or on a real-time basis by a program, andthat program can be optionally updated locally or via the radio linkfrom another location. For example, a recording can be started if theRFRS detects a certain indicator light on the instrument panel, ordetects the audio of a warning from the instruments, or detects unusualsounds. The audio can also be set to trigger a recording if it detects acertain word or sequence said by the pilot, such as “mayday” or “help”or a sequence of numbers known only to the pilots but not tounauthorized persons, and in this way the recording and transmissionsystem may be triggered by the pilot during emergencies with minimaladditional workload.

In addition, the RFRS portion 100 on the aircraft may be set tocontinuously record at all times when in flight, or when power to theaircraft is applied, and sufficient memory can be put in place insidethe RFRS aircraft portion 100 to store an entire flight's worth of audioand video. For example, recording of low motion rank video for 12 hourswith low loss compression may take as little as 8 gigabytes of memory,which is easily provided for with modern flash or other nonvolatilememory in the aircraft RFRS 100. This video may be optionally linked tothe ground portion of the RFRS 120 via the satellite link, representedby a satellite 112 and links 111,113, at anytime or dumped in reversetime order (that is, the most recent first) upon a signaling of apossible emergency. In this manner transmission may be controlled toprioritize the events leading up to the emergency condition beingfirstly transmitted to the ground portion of the RFRS 120.

Optionally, the accelerometer and attitude and cabin barometric pressuresensors may be combined to indicate when the aircraft is taking off andclimbing out, or landing, which is when emergencies and incidents occurmost often, and the system programmed to only record, or only record andtransmit, or only transmit during those periods.

Many combinations of sensor readings, thresholds, including sounds andimages, may be combined in a program on the supervisory means of theRFRS in the aircraft 100, which can be conceived by those practiced inthe art of aircraft emergencies and systems, without departing from thescope.

When audio and video from the RFRS aircraft portion 100 is received bythe ground portion 120 via the satellite link (see e.g., satellite 112and links 111,113), it can be stored and optionally analyzed immediatelyby either an automated artificial intelligence system contained within acomponent 115 (which, for example, may be a computer connected toreceive information from the aircraft portion 100 of the RFRS via thesatellite transceiver 114), or by a human trained to assist pilots inemergencies (not shown). If an aircraft is in a detected or declaredemergency situation, the artificial intelligence function or the humanmay employ the satellite link and the speaker in the aircraft in orderto provide advisement to the pilots, when appropriate.

In addition, the RFRS may provide for distribution of video and audiofrom an aircraft to authorities, or flight operations departments ofairlines, or any other particular entity or machine which has a need toreceive such information, or any combination thereof.

For example, had this RFRS system been in place on Air France 447 overthe middle of the Atlantic, the aircraft portion sensors could havedetected an attitude and acceleration of the aircraft which were unusualand commenced immediately sending video and audio of the cockpitconditions to Air France flight operations in Paris via the satellitelink. The flight operations personnel in Paris, being more objectivebecause they were not present in the cockpit, could have easily seen themultiple instrument panel indicators suggesting that the aircraft was ina stall condition, and could have observed that the pilots were takingthe wrong approach to bring the aircraft out of stall, and could havecommunicated over the satellite link directly into the aircraft flightdeck without requiring relay through multiple ground controllers andunknown ground-to-aircraft communications conditions, and possibly savedthe aircraft. Even if the attempts to save the aircraft and passengerswas ultimately unsuccessful, at the very least the flight operationspersonnel would have immediate knowledge of the reasons the aircraftwent down, instead of having to wait nearly two years for the flightrecorders to be found.

Embodiments of the invention also include aircraft that are configuredwith the camera 102 and/or components of the system for detectingactivity within the aircraft (individuals within the cockpit cabin orother space, smoke, and the like), and of the aircraft (movements of theaircraft, which for example may include altitude, speed, and otherdetectable movements). The system preferably is deployed in the aircraftseparate from other instrumentation of the aircraft itself. The camera102, microphone, speaker, or other component of the system (includingother sensors), may be provided separate from other components of theaircraft, such as the aircraft instrumentation that measure what thesystem sensors also may measure. The system may be implemented in theaircraft by connecting the system power to a power source of theaircraft, such as, for example, a generator, battery, power terminal orother source. The system may receive power directly from the aircraftpower source, or system may be configured with its own power source,such as a rechargeable battery, or a combination of these, where theaircraft power source charges the system battery. However, according topreferred embodiments, the system ascertains information (e.g., such asactivity within the aircraft cabin or cockpit, operating conditions,such as, altitude, speed, and others), which is sensed by the systemcomponents, and not the aircraft instrumentation. Although the aircraftis configured with instrumentation and sensors that may provideindications on the instrument panel in the cockpit, the RFRS systemcomponents are separate from the aircraft instrumentation, and the RFRSsystem ascertains information using these separately provisioned systemcomponents to communicate the information to a location remote from theoperating aircraft. The aircraft preferably is configured, asillustrated in FIG. 1 , to carry the system transceiver 109 and anantenna 110 which are configured with the communications mechanism ofthe system and sensors (such as the camera 102), to provide theinformation to a ground portion 120 of the system through a satellitecommunications link (see e.g., 112 and 111,113). The aircraft may beconfigured so that the system components that are employed to senseactivity are located in different positions within panels of aircrafts,in order to make it more difficult for a wrongdoer to potentiallydisable the component. For example, a camera lens may be placed anddisguised within a particular instrument panel, light, knob, or switchin one aircraft, and in a different location in another aircraft.According to some preferred embodiments, the system components areinstalled on the aircraft when it is being constructed. According tosome other embodiments, the system is installed in an alreadyconstructed aircraft.

The system, method and devices also provide a service that a subscribermay receive. Embodiments of the invention are designed to provide asubscriber system for receiving the ascertained information, where theinformation for one or more aircraft may be managed among one or moresubscribers. For example, the service may be implemented with thesystem, and information may be communicated to reside in a subscriberaccount. For example, a portion of the system may comprise one or morecomputing components, data repositories, or other storage means, whichreceives the information communicated from the aircraft portion of thesystem. For example, images from the camera 102 taken periodically (orstreaming, or both periodic and streaming when activity or othertriggering condition is present or detected) may be transmitted to theremotely situated ground portion of the system. The ground portion maybe configured to capture the data from transmissions received from theaircraft portion, and process that information. According to someembodiments, the system is configured as a subscriber system, andsubscribers may subscribe to receive access to the information providedby the system, even as the aircraft is in flight. The subscriber side ofthe system preferably resides in a ground portion of the system whichsubscribers (who are authorized) may access. The information may besubscribed to, and, the subscriber system may also include an alertingsystem that is configured to provide notifications to a subscriber. Forexample, according to one implementation, subscriber notificationparameters may be preset (by a subscriber preference or otherwise) toprovide an alert to a subscriber upon the subscriber account receivinginformation from the system of an aircraft that indicates a triggeringevent has occurred or been detected. A subscriber may subscribe to oneor more subscription components, such as aircrafts, carriers, regions,or other distinction, so that the subscriber receives informationrelevant to particular aircrafts of interest to that subscriber. Thesubscriber may be provided with approvals and authorizations prior tothe subscriber being permitted to access the information. Subscribercommunications also may be encrypted. Other subscription requirementsmay be an account, a contact, a payment system for the subscriber topurchase or maintain a subscription. Among those who may be potentialsubscribers include for example an aviation authority or agency of agovernment, law enforcement, military, or other regulatory body orgroup. The subscriber system may be configured on a computing component,which may comprise a computer with a processor, and a storage componentmaintained on or in association with the computing component, so thatinformation may be stored and retrieved from the storage component. Thestorage component may be a hard drive, flash memory, a drive of thecomputer, a remotely linked drive or other suitable data storageelement. The subscriber system computer, for example, may be configuredwith software containing instructions to process the information fromthe aircraft portion of the system. The subscriber system computer, forexample, may be configured to store and distribute the aircraftinformation obtained from the aircraft system portion, such as, forexample, recordings, to appropriate flight operations people, trainers,authorities, and the like. These organizations or individuals may besubscribers. Subscribers also may be provided with different accesslevels, so that some subscribers may have access to differentinformation than other subscribers (based on company affiliation,subscriber employment, rank or position level within an organization,and the like). The subscription may be set up as a service, provided andinvoiced monthly, annually, or other remuneration method.

These and other advantages may be obtained through the use of theinventive system, methods and devices disclosed herein. While theinvention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, thedescription is illustrative and is not to be construed as limiting thescope of the invention. For example, the percepting components maycomprise or more cameras, and multiple sensors, and may be provided indifferent locations of the aircraft. The configuration may provideredundancy of sensors or alternate locations for viewpoint locations,and the like. Various modifications and changes may occur to thoseskilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention described herein and as set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for real-time monitoring an aircraftcomprising: (a) providing a flight recorder system, wherein said flightrecorder system is separate from the aircraft's own avionics, andincludes at least one percepting component comprising one or moresensors for sensing a condition; and situating the percepting componentat a location on or within the aircraft from which information may beascertained; (b) ascertaining a condition of the aircraft with the atleast one percepting component; (c) transmitting and/or receivingcommunications over a communications network with a communicationmechanism connected with said percepting component; and (d) operating acontrol mechanism connected with said percepting component to receiveinformation from the percepting component and to communicate theinformation via the communication mechanism; (e) wherein said at leastone or more sensors comprises a barometric pressure sensor, anaccelerometer sensor, and an altitude sensor, and wherein said one ormore sensors are independent from the aircraft's avionics and guidancecomponents; (f) detecting an emergency condition experienced by theaircraft with said sensors; (g) issuing an alert via a speaker situatedwithin the aircraft cockpit, when the system detects an emergencycondition; (h) providing an indication of when the aircraft is takingoff and climbing out, or landing using a combination of saidaccelerometer, said altitude sensor and said barometric pressure sensor,and programming the system to only record, or only to record andtransmit, during those periods when said aircraft is taking off andclimbing out, or landing.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein thepercepting component comprises one or more of a camera, microphone andspeaker.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the percepting componentcomprises at least a plurality of cameras.
 4. The method of claim 3,providing a remotely situated ground operations portion, the methodfurther comprising monitoring a condition of the aircraft with theremotely situated ground operations portion, and receiving transmissionswith the remotely situated ground operations that include at least anindication of when the aircraft is taking off and climbing out, orlanding, said indication being provided by said accelerometer sensor,said attitude sensor and said barometric pressure sensor.
 5. The methodof claim 4, wherein said percepting component is provided on theaircraft and comprises an aircraft portion of said system, said aircraftportion including a communication mechanism having a satellite radiotransceiver and an antenna for radiating signals for communicating viasatellite communications link with said ground operations portion;wherein said ground operations portion comprises a receiving componentconfigured to receive communications transmitted from the communicationmechanism of the aircraft portion; the method further comprisingreceiving communications with the receiving component of the groundoperations portion, and communicating between said aircraft portioncommunicates and said ground operations portion via said satellitecommunication link.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the groundoperations portion includes a computer with a processing component andsoftware configured with instructions to instruct the processingcomponent to analyze the information communicated from the aircraftportion by comparing the information to one or more threshold orpredetermined values; processing with the ground operations portioncomputer an analysis of the information communicated from the aircraftportion by comparing the information to one or more threshold orpredetermined values; generating a response when a threshold value orpredetermined value is detected; communicating said response to saidaircraft cockpit through one or more components of the aircraft portionof the system; wherein said response is communicated via said groundoperations portion satellite transceiver through a satellite link tosaid aircraft portion transceiver through said aircraft portion antenna;wherein the control mechanism comprises one or more of a computingcomponent or control circuitry means; wherein said response iscommunicated to said computing component or control circuitry means;wherein said computing component or control circuitry means of saidaircraft portion is configured to process said response received fromsaid ground operations portion and issue an alert via one or morecomponents of said aircraft portion; processing said response receivedfrom said ground operations portion and issuing an alert via one or morecomponents of said aircraft portion; wherein said ground operationsportion comprises an artificial intelligence system, and wherein themethod includes detecting conditions of the aircraft from thecommunications providing information obtained by the perceptingcomponent of the aircraft portion of the system, wherein said conditionsinclude unusual conditions detected by said accelerometer sensor andsaid attitude sensor of said system.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereincommunication of the unusual conditions are communicated to the aircraftcockpit via said ground operations portion satellite transceiver throughsaid satellite link and to said aircraft portion transceiver throughsaid aircraft portion antenna.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein theaircraft portion of said system includes a speaker provided in thecockpit, and wherein communicating the unusual conditions comprises anaudible communication through said speaker.
 9. The method of claim 7,wherein the aircraft being monitored has a cockpit and an instrumentpanel in said cockpit, and wherein the system includes one or morecameras situated in said cockpit, the method including recording theinstrument panel of the aircraft with at least one of said one or morecameras positioned to record the instrument panel of the aircraft. 10.The method of claim 8, wherein the aircraft being monitored has acockpit and an instrument panel in said cockpit, and wherein the systemincludes one or more cameras situated in said cockpit, the methodincluding recording the instrument panel of the aircraft with at leastone of said one or more cameras positioned to record the instrumentpanel of the aircraft.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the aircraftbeing monitored has a cockpit and an instrument panel in said cockpit,and wherein the system includes one or more cameras situated in saidcockpit, the method including recording the instrument panel of theaircraft with at least one of said one or more cameras positioned torecord the instrument panel of the aircraft.
 12. The method of claim 10,including designating a threshold value or threshold change in a valuefor one or more conditions sensed by said one or more sensors, andmonitoring and processing information from the sensors to determinewhether a threshold value or change in value has been met, and whereinwhen the threshold value or change in value has been met, actuating thecamera to record images.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein saidcommunications take place via satellite communications between saidground operations portion and said aircraft, and delivering a messagefrom the ground operations portion to the aircraft through the cockpitspeaker.
 14. The method of claim 13, including determining with saidsystem via said sensors that are independent of said aircraft avionics,when an aircraft is in a detected or declared emergency situation, andimplementing an artificial intelligence function of the system toprovide advisement to the pilots via the speaker in the aircraft throughthe satellite link.
 15. The method of claim 13, including determiningwith said system via said sensors that are independent of said aircraftavionics, when an aircraft is in a detected or declared emergencysituation, and implementing a function of the system wherein a humanselectively employs the satellite link and the speaker in the aircraftto provide advisement to the pilots.
 16. The method of claim 5, whereinthe aircraft being monitored has a cockpit and an instrument panel insaid cockpit, and wherein the system includes one or more camerassituated in said cockpit, and wherein said one or more cameras includesa capture element that is installed within an aircraft cockpitcomponent, and wherein the capture element is disguised to integratewith the cockpit component.
 17. The method of claim 6, wherein theaircraft being monitored has a cockpit and an instrument panel in saidcockpit, and wherein the system includes one or more cameras situated insaid cockpit, and wherein said one or more cameras includes a captureelement that is installed within an aircraft cockpit component, andwherein the capture element is disguised to integrate with the cockpitcomponent.
 18. The method of claim 9, wherein said one or more camerasincludes a capture element that is installed within an aircraft cockpitcomponent, and wherein the capture element is disguised to integratewith the cockpit component.
 19. The method of claim 5, wherein theground operations portion operates computer software and a) processesthe information and stores the information received from the aircraftportion; b) identifies a subscriber; c) associates the subscriber withan access provision; and d) provides access to aircraft information tothe subscriber based on the subscriber access provision.
 20. The methodof claim 19, wherein the subscriber designates an aircraft, or categoryin which one or more aircrafts are classified; and wherein the methodincludes generating alerts, including a subscriber alert, andcommunicating the subscriber alert to a subscriber of a designatedaircraft or category to which one or more aircrafts are classified,based on a trigger generated from the processing of informationcommunicated from the aircraft portion.